Multiple-piston explosive-engine.



PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

O. T. HILDEBRANDT MULTIPLE PISTON EXPLOSIVE ENGI APPLICATION FILED FEB, 10. 19 5.

0 2 SHEETS- 51112111 1.

LUHH IHIIH] No. 811,220. PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906. G. T. HILDEBRA'NDT.

MULTIPLE PISTON EXPLOSIVB ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED $1113.10, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CHARLES T. HILDEBRANDT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALF 'IO EVERETT W. BROOKS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed February 10, 1905. Serial No. 2 16,095-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. HILDE- BRANDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple-Piston Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to multiple-piston eX- plosive-engincs, and has reference more particularly to a new and improved connection from the pistons to the driven shaft for the purpose of producing a compact mechanism wherein the driven shaft may be located wholly to one side of the cylinder at right angles thereto and preferably in the same horizontal plane therewith.

My invention has been designed, primarily, as a motor for automobiles wherein compactness of the operating parts is adesideratum.

The general type of engine to which my invention relates is illustrated in Letters Patent to W. S. Sharpneck, No. 680,985, granted August 20, 1901; but instead of locating the driven shaft at a considerable height above the engine-cylinder, as in the said patent, I provide a novel system of driving connections which enablessaid shaft to be located low and Wholly to one side of the cylinder and within the horizontal plane occupied by the latter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred mechanical embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the complete engine, and Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates the bed of the engine-cylinder, and 6 a lateral extension thereof constituting a support for the bed-block 7 of the inner journal-bearing of the driven shaft 8.

9 designates the engine-cylinder, containing a pair of oppositely-disposed twin pistons, (shown by dotted lines at 10in Fig. 1.) Above the engine-cylinder is a valve-chest 11, con taining a rotary valve and a suitable igniter, which parts are not herein shown in detail, as they will preferably be the same as illustrated and described in Letters Patent to E. W. Brooks, No. 737,202, grantedAugust 25,1903, disposed longitudinally of the engine-cylinder rather than crosswise thereof.

12 designates the stem'of the valve, having on its outer end a sprocket-wheel 13, driven by a sprocket-chain 14. from a sprocket-wheel 15 on the end of a short shaft 16, su tably journaled on the bed 5 and carrying at its inner end a bevel-gear 17, meshing with a companion bevel-gear 17 a fast on the drlven shaft 8.

Referring now to those features of the engine wherein my present invention pr marily resides, 18 designates each of a parrot paral lel rigid uprights mounted on the bed-frame 5 on either side of and opposite the longltudlnal center of the cylinder. These uprights constitute guides for cross-heads 19, which have a dovetailed sliding engagement therewlth by means of the inwardly-extending projections 19 one or both sides of which may be provided with a hardened-metal wear-plate 19". In the opposite edges of the cross-heads 19 are pivoted the inner ends of two pairs of pit: men 20 and 21, respectively, the lower ends of which are pivotally united by cross-shafts 22 with the o utwardly-extending stem s or shanks of the pistons 10. By reason of this construction it will be seen that the outward powerstrokes of the pistons will draw the crossheads downwardly over their guides 18.

Pivotally mounted on the outer face of each cross-head 19 by means of a short pivot 23 is a combined oscillatory and sliding crosshead 24, engaging a slot 25, formed in the inner end of each of a pair of arms 26, fast at their lower ends on a rock-shaft 27, journaled in one end of the bed 5. Fast on the shaft 27 is an upright arm 28, from the upper end of which extends a pitman 29, constituting a cranked connection with the inner face of a flywheel 30, fast on the inner end of the driven shaft 8. By reason of this construction it will be seen that the vertical reciprocations of the cross-heads 19 through the de scribed connections to the rock-shaft 27 will rock the latter and the arm 28, thus through the pitman 29 imparting a continuous rotation to the fly-wheel 30 and shaft 8.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the arms 26, the shaft 27, and the arm 28 constitute, in effect, abell-crank lever rocking about a fulcrum disposed crosswise of the cylinder and in the horizontal plane of the longitudinal axis of the latter, with both the driving and driven connections of said bell-crank disposed on the same side of its fulcrum and in close association with the engine-cylinder and the driven shaft, thus enabling the fly-wheel of the engine to be located alongside of and lengthwise of the cylinder, and thus permitting the use of a large and heavy fly-wheel without necessitating an increase in the total length of the engine. This arrangement enables the driven shaft and fly-wheel of the engine, as well as the greaterportion ofthe driving connections between said parts and the engine-cylinder, to be located laterally of the engine-cylinder rather than longitudinally thereof, as in the usual arrangement, thus providing an engine of exceedingly compact structure, especially as regards its longitudinal dimension, which is a highly desirable type for use on motor-vehicles.

It is evident that the specific details of the construction herein shown might be considerably varied without substantially varying the relative arrangement of the operating parts and without sacrificing any of the benefits and advantages resulting therefrom. Hence I do not limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described except to the extent that such details of construction are made the subject of specific claims.

I claim 1. The combination with an engine-cylinder having oppositely-moving twin pistons, of a driven shaft disposed laterally of the cylinder and at right angles thereto, a vertical guide mounted on one side of the cylinder, a cross-head reciprocable over said guide, pitmen connecting the outer. ends of the pistons with said cross-head, and driving connections between the latter and said driven shaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an engine-cylinder having oppositely-moving twin pistons, of a driven shaft disposed laterally of the cylinder and at right angles thereto, a vertical guide mounted on one side of the cylinder, a cross-head reciprocable over said guide, pitmen connecting the outer ends of the pistons with said cross-head, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted opposite one end of said cylinder and having one arm thereof connected to said cross-head, a fly-wheel on said driven shaft, and a pitman connecting said fly-Wheel to the other arm of said bell crank, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an engine-cylinder having oppositely-moving twin pistons, of a driven shaft disposed laterally of the cylinder and at right angles thereto, a pair of vertical guides mounted on either side of the cylinder, respectively, cross-heads reciprocable over said guides, pitmen connecting the outer ends of the pistons with said crossheads, a rock-shaft mounted transversely of and opposite one end of said cylinder, arms fast at one end on said rock-shaft and at their other ends engaged by said cross-heads, an upwardly-extending arm fast at its lower end on said rock-shaft, a fly-Wheel on said driven shaft, and a pitman connecting said fly-wheel with the upper end of said upright shaft, substantially as described.

CHARLES T. HILDEBRANDT.

l/Vitnesses:

ALBERT H. GRAVES, FREDERICK O. GoonwrN. 

